New Half Size Printable Planners for 2015

After many requests for half size planner pages, I have created the half size day to a page planner versions as well as the half size extras. Go here to check them out!

Half Size Day to a Page

Chevron half size day to a page

Half Size Extras

 Chevron half size extras

You can now also purchase the planner in the half size (months only) with no weekly or daily planner pages if you prefer to manage your time this way.

Or just the months by themselves. Rainbow

Chevron

I have also designed a new half-size weekly layout that allows more room to write with the days going across the page than the columns like the letter size (full size) planner style.

I hope you guys like this new planner style as much as I enjoyed creating it 🙂

If you’re concerned about using up printer ink you could have the files printed at your local office supply store (send me a convo via etsy and I will give you a print release) the chevron and stripes patterns also print nicely in greyscale.

Printing instructions are included. Before printing you will need to pre-cut letter size paper in half (most office supply stores will do this for you if you don”t have a paper trimmer, you can also buy pre-cut paper reams)

You can read more about the rainbow planner and chevron planners in THIS post.

My 2015 Printable Rainbow Daily Planner

Today I’d like to introduce my new daily planner!

Please excuse the poor quality photos – the colours are actually much brighter in person!

I. Am. OBSESSED with it! I created the whole planner from scratch (well, except the arc notebook I used to assemble it of course). The planner pages are 8.5 x 11″ in size. I know a lot of people prefer the smaller planner sizes but portability and compactibility isn’t an issue for me as I carry a large handbag. I’ll discuss printing options if you’d like to use the pages in an A5, half size or filofax planner at the bottom of this post.

One of the most important things about a planner is its’ pretty cover page! I am OBSESSED with pretty cover pages. Every binder I use has to have a cover page. I created one cover for the planner then came up with ideas for another cover. And another one. I ended up with about 15 covers before I finally gained some self-control. I get bored with covers easily so I intend to use a different one each month. This is the one I am currently using:

I’ve listed all the other covers in my Etsy shop if you’re a cover addict like me. These covers are personalised with your monogram and/or other wording that you would like. Due to customisation these are sent within 48hours of your purchase.

These covers are an instant download so you can use them right away!

You could also pair the planner with one of my other binder covers

Let’s take a tour of my planner!

After the cover page is the ‘this belongs to page’ in case my planner ever gets lost.

Followed by the 2014 and 2015 dates at a glance pages (with space tor record those new years resolutions/goals that I’m going to try and accomplish)

I forget to take photos of these pages in my assembled planner.

Then the ‘special dates’ page where I list national holidays for 2014 , 2015 and 2016. This sheet is not pre-filled so you could live anywhere in the world and still use this planner! I live in Australia which is why this page is not pre-filled with American holidays. You can find a summary of national holidays relevant to your country on this website

Important dates where I list birthday’s, anniversaries ect. You could also use it for annual planning.

 

FOR EACH MONTH

Monthly divider (I recommend printing single sided onto cardstock. I use this brand).

Monthly planning page

2 page monthly calendar spread

An undated editable version is also available.

Notes

Daily and/or weekly planning pages – I have created 3 different weekly spreads.

Meal planning & checklist

Checklist

This is the weekly spread that I personally use. I am obsessed with lists so this layout has been working perfectly for me!

The ‘simple‘ version where you can make it your own e.g. add lines across the page to separate each column into boxes to separate things like school, work, social, reminders, meal planning ect. Or just keep the columns blank with lots of open-ended writing space

For those who prefer to have one page for each day:

I also have an undated (and editable!) version. I use this on days where I need to get a lot done and I want to map out exactly how I will use my time. I call this the ‘schedule’ planning method (rather than the open-ended weekly pages). There are 2 lines beside each hour – one line per 30 minutes of the day. I print a few off and keep them at the back of the planner then transfer them to the current week when I need them.

Wondering what that un-labelled box is for? Anything! After designing and using many daily planners I have found that I needed a section that was flexible. Some days I use this box to record my exercise plan, on other days I use it for reminders or calls I need to make. I also like having a large notes section so I can jot down messages when I’m on the phone. I used to scramble around for a piece of paper which I then couldn’t find a few days later. This way I can keep everything in order 🙂 The meals box is big enough to plan all daily meals or just dinner and a few things I need to pick up from the store on my way home.

After all the months, I include extra notes pages as well as pages you can purchase separately from the ‘Extra’s package.’ I store these pages behind the ‘Miscellaneous’ divider (which comes with the planner).

Editable Meal Planner & Grocery List

You can also print 2 copies of the 1 sheet onto a single page (see below). For instructions on how to do this see here

Password Log

To do checklist

Contacts

Weekly Planning page. I keep this at the back and use it to note routine things that need to be completed each day (or most days of the week). I am considering moving it to the front of the planner.

Extra notes pages

Calendar stickers

I LOVE calendar stickers but they are very hard to find in Australia so I made my own. Because I am obsessed with things being coordinated I used the same colours as the rainbow stripe pattern on the planner. I made my own template in photoshop and printed the 6 sheets onto full sheet 8.5 x 11″ label paper then cut using a guillotine (you could also use a paper trimmer or scissors). I keep them in a clip top bag in the ziplock pouch I also purchased for the back of the planner.

Money Stickers

The colours do actually print that nice and bright. The photos makes them look much darker than they actually are!

Events Stickers

School Stickers

Number Stickers

Home/Maintenance Stickers

Medical Stickers

 

UPDATE: I have become a sticker addict in the past few months. You can shop all available stickers in the online store and on Etsy.

I bought these pockets to keep random papers in. E.g. if I get the mail on my way out the door I will tuck it in these pockets and take them out when I get home.

Back cover (should you choose to have your planner spiral bound or use it in a binder)

If you’re concerned about printer ink, here are how some of the pages look printed in greyscale:

Still quite pretty!

HOW I ORGANISE MY PLANNER

1. Colour code. I write everything in my planner in black pen. I don’t use a special brand of pen. I use cheap ones from discount stores like the Reject Shop and Crazy Clark’s. I live in Australia so I don’t have access to Walmart :(. I then highlight each ‘thing’ in my planner in a different colour. For example: yellow is Etsy, pink is personal, green is appointments and social events, purple is to do’s, orange is family and light blue is finances. When I was in school I used to use different colours for homework, assessment due dates ect.

2. Calendar Stickers (which I mentioned above). They’re rainbow and co-ordinate with my planner – nuff said 🙂

HOW I USE MY PLANNER

1. I write things like when bills are due in the monthly view. I also note any appointments and social events. I try to minimise what I write in the monthly view to prevent it from being over-cluttered. One of the reasons I use a full-size planner is because of the large writing space in the monthly view. I have used smaller planners before and found I filled the little boxes too quickly. I also cannot stand trying to write something into a planner and not having the page to lean my hand against as I enter a task (hopefully you understand what I mean, I know I didn’t explain that very clearly :/)

2. The weekly views show each day in more detail. Occasionally I review my ‘master’ to do list which I keep in my lists book. I shared some pictures of it at the bottom of this post. Basically I printed off all the sheets from my lists kit and bound them into a notebook.

Anyway, in the lists book I have monthly to do lists. At the start of the year I list things I’d like to complete for each month (personal, work – everything) and stop about 5 lines short of the bottom of the page (gotta keep room for ideas that pop up throughout the year!) Each month I pick out the main to do’s and fill the first monthly to do list column in the planner (on the monthly planning page).  I keep the second column free for to do’s I think of throughout the month. So basically the lists book is a ‘reference’ and my planner summarises those lists.

I’ll pick a few of the monthly to do’s in my planner that I feel are the highest priority. I transfer tasks that need to occur to complete each of those to do’s to the weekly pages of my planner. For example, if I am working on a new planner set then I will break the planner down into smaller to do’s and allocate those throughout the weeks of the month. I write these steps in the unlined section of each day. I keep the checklists for routine tasks such as laundry, grocery shopping, emptying the dishwasher, de-cluttering ect.

The reason I love the layout of the weekly pages is because they are simple, uncluttered, flexible and don’t have too much colour. I do love a bit of colour (hence the rainbow stripe), but because I highlight/colour-code my planner I kept it to black only below the pattern. I don’t like planners that include mini monthly views on each weekly spread as I find this a massive waste of space. I rarely need to know what day a certain date falls on and if I do I have the monthly summary pages and the dates at a glance places to refer to.

I do use tabs as you can see in the pictures. I purchased these from Staples. They were pre hole punched for a 3 ring binder but I punched over the top – they are made of a plastic-like material so they still stay in place in the Arc notebook. I am on the lookout for nicer tabs because I’d prefer them to be thicker like cardstock. If anyone knows of any good tabs please let me know!

So that’s my planner! If anyone has any questions or comments I’d love to hear from you 🙂

***PRINTING YOUR PLANNER***

The pages are 8.5 x 11″ in size. They will work with printers that CAN do duplex printing and also printers that CANNOT do duplex printing. Detailed printing instructions are included in your purchase. As all printers are different, I cannot offer technical support for printing. No refunds will be made if you are unable to print the pages due to your printer having different settings than shown in the example/if you do not know how to use your printer. If you are having problems printing your planner at home, I recommend printing at your local office supply store.

If you want to use the pages in an A5/Filofax/half size planner you can by using ‘2 per page’ or ‘multiple’ print settings and then cut the 8.5 x 11″ sheet in half. However, they will be single-sided.

If you would like to use the planner pages in a personal or smaller than half size planner I do not recommend doing this. You can print any page at any size (smaller than 8.5 x 11″). See this post on printing tips for instructions (tip 2). The reason I do not recommend this is because you will need to cut every sheet down to size.

As a side note – a coupon is included in the printing instructions document which you can use on all future purchases until the end of 2015!

***PLANNER SOURCE LIST***

Arc punch (I’ve read that the Levenger punch is compatible)

Pink Arc notebook (A4 size)

A5 zip pockets they also have A4 size 

A4 Pockets

They have lots of other fun extras you can add like business card holder

By the way, I am in no way affiliated with Staples or this brand I just like their products 🙂

***LET’S GO SHOPPING!***

Do you think this planner would work for you? Great! Click the links below to start shopping 🙂

PLANNERS

– Rainbow ‘simple’ version

– Rainbow ‘checklist’ version

– Rainbow ‘meal planning & checklist’ version

– Day to a page

– 2 Page Monthly Calendar

– Undated 2 page monthly calendar

– Undated daily planning page

– Undated Landscape calendar

COVERS

– 6 Instant download planner covers

– Personalised Planner Covers

ADD ONS

– Matching Rainbow Calendar Stickers

– Rainbow Extras

– Contacts page

– Meal Planning & Grocery List

– To Do Checklist 

– Password Log

– Weekly Planning Page

– Notes Page

RAINBOW SIMPLE PLANNER

– Mar 2014 – Jun 2015

– Mar 2014 – Dec 2015

– Jan 2015 – Dec 2015

RAINBOW CHECKLIST PLANNER

– Mar 2014 – Jun 2015

– Mar 2014 – Dec 2015

– Jan 2015 – Dec 2015

RAINBOW MEAL PLANNING & CHECKLIST PLANNER

– Mar 2014 – July 2015

– Mar 2014 – Dec 2015

– Jan 2015 – Dec 2015

DAY-TO-A-PAGE PLANNER

– Mar 2014 – July 2015

– Mar 2014 – Dec 2015

– Jan 2015 – Dec 2015

***WANT TO GET A FREE PLANNER?***

Do you have a blog? Want to get this planner for free in exchange for a review? Convo me via Etsy or send an email to allaboutthehouseetsy@yahoo.com.au  If I think your blog is a good fit – I will send you a copy of the planner of your choice for FREE!

***HAVE YOU DISCOVERED AN ERROR?***

I have checked each page however, if you happen to spot an error, please bring it to my attention so I can fix it ASAP.

Travel Planning Kit – EDITABLE

Planning a holiday/vacation? I live in Australia and will be visiting America in January for a month (so excited!) I needed a way to keep all my trip planning organised so I created this Travel Planning kit!

This travel planner can be used for both domestic and international holidays. It is designed to take the stress out of travelling and ensure you don’t forget to do or pack anything! If you are travelling to multiple destinations, you can note the city at the top of each planning sheet to help you stay organised.

I recommend placing the sheets in a binder when you are planning your trip and take out only the sheets that you need e.g. flight information, itinerary summary ect. when you go on your trip. You could have the sheets bound to create a travel notebook with multiple journal pages at the back.

There are 35 sheets included in the travel planner kit:
– Planner cover and binder spine (in 3 sizes to suit any binder)
– General Research (5 pages)
– Accommodation Research
– Shopping Research
– Culture Research
– Clothing Research
– Transport Planning
– Tour Company Comparison
– Accommodation Bookings
– Transport Bookings
– Trip Planner
– Travel Budget (blank)
– Travel Budget (pre-filled 2 pages)
– Travel To Do List
– Travel Insurance
– To Buy Before We Leave
– Outfit Planner
– Packing List (4 pages + 1 page sometime before we leave)
– Spending Record
– Note Paper
– Itinerary Summary
– Travel Checklists
– Flight Info
– Common Phrases
– Daily Travel Planner
– While We’re Away
– Good to Know
– Journal Page
– My Journal (kids version)
– Before We Leave Checklist (2 pages)

There are 2 copies of most sheets if you want to do duplex printing or 2 per page printing if you are using an A5 planner or simply want to save paper. All sheets are EDITABLE.

General Research (5 pages)

The first thing to do when planning a trip is conduct general research on your destination. I will be visiting San Francisco, L.A., San Deigo, Las Vegas, New York, Toronto and Orlando and needed to be able to keep research I’d conducted on each city separate. Each page in this kit has space to note the city at the top which really helped keep everything organised.

The first page is space to list all the places/attractions/things you MUST see & do in order of priority/importance. For example, in New York I obviously want to visit the Statue of Liberty. On the sheet I type the attraction, how to get there (e.g. ferry and from what pickup point), the entry fee, opening hours and any other notes such as that a 15% tip is required to the tour bus driver ect. I found that I had about 8 must see and do’s in each city so this sheet continues onto a second page. If I needed more planning space I could always print another sheet.

The next page is for listing those attractions/places to visit if time permits.

If you’re on a tight budget there’s a sheet to note free local attractions. You can also note the opening hours and how to get there. This sheet may come in handy if I happen to have ‘down/spare’ days on the trip (which I doubt because it’s pretty jam packed but it never hurts to be prepared).

On this sheet I listed 4 possible restaurants to dine at that are near the hotels in each city. There’s lots of extra notes space on each sheet. I noted things like food prices, type of food they serve ect.

Accomodation Research

When choosing a hotel I like to compare 4 hotels then choose the best one based on my research. I assess each hotel on the proximity to public transport, restaurants, shopping, attractions, price, accommodation facilities. I always look on tripadviser for reviews of the hotel and in particular, read any bad reviews. I also like to get up google maps and see the hotel and surrounding areas to get a better idea of a hotels location. Price, of course, is also an important factor and as price can vary depending on booking dates (e.g. I will be staying in L.A. over New Years which affected prices) I like to make note of the booking dates. This comes in handy when comparing hotels.

Clothing Research

I will be travelling to America in the middle of their winter. It doesn’t get very cold in Australia, even in winter and I had no idea what clothes I would need. I used this sheet to record things like the temperature at the time of my trip, what materials to look out for when buying winter jackets, what brands of thermal socks are highly recommended ect.

Shopping Research

This sheet is a MUST for me. One of the main factors I consider when choosing a hotel is it’s proximity to shops so I used this sheet while I was doing hotel research. I like to know which shopping centre is closet to it’s hotel, how to get there e.g. turn left when exiting the hotel and walk 3 blocks, it’s opening hours (I’d rather go shopping at night then lounge around in the hotel room as the days are packed with full day tours). If I happen to have extra time some days, then I like to know the location of nearby shopping centres, how to get there and if they offer different shops so I know whether they are worthwhile going to.

Culture Research

We don’t tip in Australia so I had no clue how much was ‘normal’ to tip cab drivers, waitresses ect. in America. I will definitely be taking this sheet with me for reference. I also wanted a place to note things like: if I was travelling to somewhere like Malaysia where they where Burka’s I would note that they find it offensive if women wear shorts.

Good to Know

Whenever I go on holidays I always find myself asking things like ‘where can I get money out?’ I always like to know where the nearest supermarket is to get snacks after a long flight instead of paying a fortune for the hotel mini bar. And I always pre-purchase or take my own food to theme parks as this saves a ton of money.

There’s also space to note time differences e.g. when it’s 4pm in Queensland it will be 11pm in L.A. When I’m in America, I want to know what time it will be in Australia so I’ll know when to phone relatives without waking them up!

Common Phrases

I won’t need this for this trip as English is the main language in the U.S. But if I were visiting China then I’m sure a sheet like this would come in handy.

Travel Insurance

I used this sheet to compare different types of travel insurance noting the inclusions, exclusions, cover amount per person, excess cost  and anything else worth noting.

Travel Budget

There are 2 travel budgets included in the kit. One with pre-filled items (including extra space to add your own items)…

And one where you can add all your own expenses.

Transport Planning

A sheet for recording when transport will be required e.g. from the airport to your hotel. I then went on TaxiFareFinder and compared the cost of a taxi (working off the heaviest fare rate and taking into account tips, toll costs ect.) and compared this to the time taken if public transport is used (as well as the cost) and also to the cost of the transfers offered by the travel company I used. I then selected the best value and most time efficient method and recorded it here.

Flight Info

I will be taking lots of plane flights and wanted to have just 1 or 2 sheets with all the flights listed for quick reference. I also wanted a place to note the baggage limit for each airline I will be using and the excess baggage fee (as I’m sure I will need a second suitcase after shopping in New York!). I also like to note the date I booked the flight and when it was paid for.

Transport Bookings

Another ‘summary’ type sheet to record all the transport bookings details. I used this for details of transfers from airports to hotels, hotels to attractions and the transfer I will be taking from L.A. to Anaheim. I made sure to note the contact details of the company in case they don’t show up, if there’s a delay ect.  Again, I wanted a section to record the cost (so I could transfer it to my budget sheet) and a section to record when it has been paid for.

Tour Company Comparison

I will be taking a lot of tours so this sheet became one of my favourites. I undertook extensive research on similar tours provided by different tour companies and recorded it on this sheet. When comparing tours I consider:

– price (I also note any extras like taxes and international transaction fees)

– what’s included (e.g. for the Niagara Falls tour I noted what places it stops at along the way)

– what’s excluded (e.g. lunch)

– how long the tour will take (to help with my itinerary planning)

– the pickup and drop-off location (the hotel I am staying at in L.A. isn’t offered for pickup for many L.A. tours so I noted the nearest hotel where pickup is available from)

There’s ample space for writing extra notes such as the tour companies rating on tripadvisor.

Accommodation Bookings

A handy sheet for listing all your accommodation booking details as well as things like the hotel check in time, name on booking (as a credit card in the same name as the person who booked the hotel is usually required upon check in), check out time, cost, when it was paid for, transfer details to and from the accommodation and whether you have a loyalty membership # with the hotel.

Transport Bookings

After booking transport I transferred the details from the transport research page to this sheet.

Trip Planner

I used this sheet to initially plan out the itinerary. I found that it helped to know what day a certain date fell on when planning tours. For example, I didn’t want to do an L.A. shopping tour on a Saturday or Sunday when shopping centres are likely to be busy.

To Buy Before We Leave

As I purchase items for my trip e.g. gloves I record the item, price, where it was purchased (in case I need to return it) and the date it was purchased.

Outfit Planner

I will use this sheet closer to the departure date when I’ve bought everything I need. I hope it will make packing a breeze!

Packing List (5 pages)

4 page packing list that covers everything with ample room to add your own items. Items are cateogorised into the following headings: essentials, clothing, toiletries, miscellaneous, kids, other, summer & winter (on a separate page so you can print only if needed).

The lines beside each item can be used for up to 6 people or 6 different occasions. Where applicable, write the quantity required for that item e.g. ‘shorts x 4’ On the lines beside each item you can type ‘Y’ for yes when packed, using each line for a separate person. I prefer to print this sheet and then tick above the line.

The last page is a ‘before we leave’ list

Before we Leave (2 pages)

I started planning this trip way back in March when it was too early for things like renewing my expired passport so I wanted a place where I could reminders of things I still need to do.

When it gets closer to my trip I want to avoid forgetting anything so I have reminders of things to do 1 week prior, a few days before and the crucial day of departure. I’ve left extra lines in case I’ve forgotten anything.

While We’re Away

Print this out and give a copy to your neighbour, house sitter and/or dog sitter.

Record details of things that need to be done while you’re away (such as putting the bin out and collecting the mail). You can note tasks that needed to be performed on certain days of the week. There’s space for extra notes such as for writing the contact details of the hotels you are staying at.

Itinerary Summary

Leave a copy of this sheet with the neighbours, house sitter and/or dog sitter. I intend to summarise the trip planner sheet onto this planning page. There are 2 copies in the PDF to facilitate 2 per page or duplex printing.

Spending Record

While on the trip I wanted a place to record what I had bought and how much it cost so I can stay on budget.

Travel Journal

On my trip I want to keep a journal. I left this page pretty open-ended. There’s room to write, fix a photo ect.

My Journal

A kids version of the journal page to record their vacation memories.

Travel Checklists

If I don’t write something down then I’m likely to forget it. I wanted a ‘checklist’ of things I’ll need to do each night while on the trip, things to remember when packing for a flight as well as a checklist to refer to each day to make sure I have everything in my handbag/backpack.

Daily Travel Planner

I intent to use this sheet on days when I have a lot planned. This sheet can be used to plan what sites you’ll be visiting, the weather forecast, dining plans, things to remember and what you’ll be doing every hour.

I created this list because I am an OLM (obsessive list maker) and wanted to keep track of things I still need to do (like buy boots). I like setting due dates to keep me motivated so there’s space to record that as well. UPDATE: This print is available for free on Today’s Creative Blog.

Note Paper

I find it never hurts to have extra note paper! I used mine to write tips I read while researching like, when choosing a backpack, look for bags with secret pockets, compact, and with plenty of space, try to choose a rectangular size bag so space is not lost (avoid curved bags).

If you choose to purchase the travel planner kit, you will also receive a 3 page ‘recommended use’ guide:

The kit is available in 6 different colours!

Click here if you think these planner pages might work for you!

Editable means:
– When you open the files there will be light blue boxes where you can type in your information (this will NOT remain light blue when printed).
– You can still print and hand-write on the sheets (the blue boxes won’t appear on your printed copy)
– The fillable font is helvetica in black
– The checkboxes are not editable. The forms are intended for filling out on the computer, then printing out and checking each item off as you go
– The actual layout of the printable including pattern, pattern colour, font style, existing text ect. are not editable and cannot be changed

The pages can be printed on A4 and /or letter size (8.5 x 11″) size paper. For tips on printing the pages as half size, A5, filofax or any other page size, please see THIS POST.

Direct links for each colour:

To purchase through the online store: grey, black, dark blue, light blue, green, purple, pink and also available in blue polka dot

To purchase on Etsy: grey, purple, pink, green, light blue, dark blue, black and blue polka dot

This planner set is part of the mega household binder bundle, organized life, super organized life and get it all bundles

All sheet are (c) AllAboutTheHouse and are for personal use only – thank you!